-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` By blood , I am Albanian . By citizenship , an Indian . By faith , I am a Catholic nun . As to my calling , I belong to the world . ''

Mother Teresa , pictured in 1997 , lived and worked in Kolkata from 1931 until her death .

That 's how Mother Teresa chose to describe herself in life . In death , however , her words will probably do little to settle a diplomatic squabble over her remains .

The Albanian government wants to receive her remains before her 100th birthday next year .

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said his nation plans to open a museum in Mother Teresa 's honor and has planned commemorative events .

But more important , Berisha said , Mother Teresa should rest next to her mother and sister , who are buried in a cemetery in the Albanian capital , Tirana .

`` She missed them very much all her life , '' he said . `` My request is a very human one .

`` She told me that she prayed every day for her family and her country . That 's why I think both governments should talk about -LSB- this -RSB- and find a solution , '' Berisha said .

Then there is Macedonia , the nation where Mother Teresa was born and raised . It , too , may stake a claim on the woman who is well on a path to sainthood .

But India , the land where she made her life 's work , has made it clear that Mother Teresa , buried in the heart of Kolkata -LRB- formerly known as Calcutta -RRB- , will not be leaving her final resting place .

`` Mother Teresa was a citizen of India , '' said Vishnu Prakash , spokesman for the country 's external affairs ministry .

Though she arrived as a foreigner , Mother Teresa came to be cherished in her adopted home . In billboards and booklets , the city of Kolkata proudly claims her as one of its most famous citizens . She was a devout Catholic who transcended religion , inspiring a nation of millions of poor people , mostly Hindus and Muslims .

She is buried in the courtyard at the nondescript Missionaries of Charity compound in central Kolkata , a site visited by residents and tourists alike . People stream in from the bustling streets to the serenity of Mother House to pay their respects -- and find strength in her presence .

They wander among her order of nuns in their simple blue-bordered white cotton saris . On the second floor is the small and sparse room that belonged to Mother Teresa .

`` She has become part and parcel of our national life , '' said Father Babu Joseph , spokesman for the Catholic Bishops ' Conference of India .

`` She built a strong bond with India , '' he said . `` People of all religious groups here rather consider her an inalienable part -LSB- of India -RSB- and therefore we would strongly want the remains to be in India . ''

Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to ethnic Albanian parents in Skopje , Macedonia , on August 26 , 1910 . At 18 , she left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto , arriving in India in 1931 .

Moved by staggering poverty and human suffering , she started the Missionaries of Charity , dedicating her life to helping those in need . She became a fixture on the streets of Kolkata , often picking up the sick and hungry , and giving them food , shelter and love .

When she accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 , she asked that the gala dinner be canceled and the money be sent instead to help Kolkata 's destitute .

Mother Teresa was 87 when she died in 1997 , the news eclipsed by Princess Diana 's death several days earlier .

Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa in 2003 and she could be canonized by her centennial birthday next year -- a saint in the heavens whose resting place on Earth remains a devilish debate .

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Mother Teresa lived , worked mostly in Kolkata but was ethnically Albanian

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Albania wants her body repatriated in time for 100th anniversary of birth in 2010

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Mother Teresa currently buried in Missionaries of Charity compound in Kolkata

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Mother Teresa , who died in 1997 , beatified in 2003 ; could be canonized next year